Tuesday, June 2013
You are invited to join CWS families and friends for the
2013 CWS Summer Parades and Festivals
These events are all a part of Chicago Waldorf School’s Summer Outreach events. In them Waldorf children, parents, faculty, staff and friends march, play music and jump rope for Pride Parade, they wave streamers and ride scooters and throw confetti in Evanston for the July 4th parade, they knit and construct toys at the Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival, the Glenwood Market and at the Renegade Craft Fair. And in all these events they demonstrate and share their love of CWS in talk with neighbors interested in finding out more about our school and the special aspects of Waldorf education.
Enjoy staying connected with Waldorf families
this summer and help us present our school to
Chicago’s neighborhoods and communities. This plays an essential role in our enrollment outreach efforts and its also just plain good
old summer fun for the whole family.
Come and join us for many, or even just one, of these events. You can march in the sun amid the cheering crowds for our parades (historically lots of costuming, face-painting and parade swag are involved- or wear your CWS t-shirt!). For those younger and older participants―or just the sun shy―we also have seating with cool drinks on the CWS bus which will drive in both parades.
Chicago Parades- Come March with Us!!
Sunday June 30th – 44th Annual Chicago Pride Parade (11:30am-1pm)
Thursday July 4th – Evanston’s 4th of July Parade (12:30pm-3pm)
Please RSVP!
To get involved, please contact Jason Greenberg at 312-405-6522 or jgreenberg@chicagowaldorf.org if you have questions or would like to attend. RSVPs are important so we can provide adequate event materials and reserve seats on the bus.
Chicago Arts & Neighborhood Festivals- Come Attend with Us!!
August 17 & 18 – Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival (12pm-5pm)
August 25 – Glenwood Sunday Market (9am-2pm)
September 7 & 8 – Renegade Craft Fair (11am-5pm)
September 29 – Glenwood Sunday Market (9am-2pm)
Also don’t forget another fun way to stay in touch and enjoy outdoor play with other Waldorf families:
CWS Tuesday Beach Days at Albion Beach
All Summer Long - starting June 11th (10am-4pm)
Join the CWS Parent Ambassadors at Albion Beach any Tuesday (weather permitting) during the summer to meet new families, connect with current families and re-connect with any alumni families that may drop by. Look for the big red CWS sun umbrella. Sponsored by the Parent Ambassadors group.
Questions! Contact Jennifer Zielinski at 773-828-8468 or jzielinski@chicagowaldorf.org
Tuesday, June 2013
We are on the home stretch for the CWS Annual Fund. We appreciate those of you who have contributed over $128,000 to date; we need $22,000 more to meet our goal. Of course, we would like to exceed our goal and now we can with the added support of this challenge grant!
The Board of Trustees and a committed group of parents have stepped forward and offered up to a $1,000 matching gift for contributions made between now and June 30th.
The caveat is that the class has to have 100% participation. If you have children in more than one class, your gift will be credited towards the participation of each of those classes.
For each class for which there is 100% participation, there will be 1) a dollar-for-dollar matching gift made up to $1,000 and 2) a pizza party in the fall! The matching dollars will go to the Annual Fund and be credited to the first 10 classes to reach 100%!
The CWS Annual Fund is critical for the school and its operations (as was detailed in this Springs All School Meeting). Annual Fund impacts everything from turning on the lights to covering teachers’ salaries.
Right now we are only at 52% parent participation while nationwide Waldorf schools and other independent schools average from 85% - 100% parent participation. We need to increase this number by June 30th, and raise at least $22,000 to meet our goal of $150,000.
This is a great opportunity! Those of you who have not yet made your Annual Fund gift please take advantage of this moment and do so before June 30th. Your participation is necessary to activate the challenge grant to double your dollars!
And thank you for supporting Waldorf education.
Questions? Please call Development Director Alexa Markoff at 773.828.8458 or by email at amarkoff@chicagowaldorf.org.
Tuesday, June 2013
As the 2012-13 enrollment season winds down, we would like to extend our deepest appreciation to the many students, teachers and parents who welcomed and supported our prospective families this year. Each of us plays a unique role in describing the value of Waldorf education, and we find that building enrollment in CWS is best achieved through the enthusiastic and collective efforts of the community. This year was another fine example of this work.
First and foremost, we thank our inspiring and dedicated high school student ambassadors:
Malcolm Collins, Juan Correa, Claudia King, Sarah Lavin-Burgher, Jeremy Marder, Fiona Masterton, Claire Matthews, Torii Maysonet, Bianca Moreno, Merci Randolph, Elijah Teague, Joe Wendy and Wilny Wilkerson. Together, with the help of Anyah Akanni, Michael Chungbin, Lauren Dubendorf, Natalie Good, Isaiah Hasselquist, Helena Joho, Auset Muhammad, Iris Pavelic, Jenna Rogers, Augie Verciglio, and Becca Wright, they hosted 43 visitors as well as our own 7th and 8th grade students.
Many thanks to Anyah Akanni, Armel Cazedepats, Liam Lundy, and Yarden Solomon for joining the student ambassadors in supporting seven tours and orientations. We are also grateful to Camille Dozier, Roman Scott, Augie Verciglio and particularly Keven Henley for their musical gifts.
Thank you to all members of the Enrollment Committee
and especially Susan Mudd, Katherine Rogers, Rebeca Itzkowich and Lauren Pilgrim for their leadership and extraordinary commitment.
Lastly, we appreciate the efforts of the parent volunteers providing support for enrollment:
Catherine Boyce, Karen Brennan, Megan Cummins, Dawn Hall, Jennifer Davis, Christy Galyon, Cheryl Henley, Corey Hirsch, Margaret Hock-Koehler, Maria Luz, Clifton Muhammad, Lisa Rekstad, Judy Shaver-Chungbin, Genie Tan, Sarah Wellington, Christine Wendy, Kelly & Cosmin Vrajitoru, and Jennifer Zumann.
We would also like to extend a huge thanks to the 2012-13 Parent Ambassadors:
Megan Cummins, Piper Davis, Maria Gale, Christy Galyon, Cheryl Henley, Lisa King, Jessica McCarthy, Sarah McIntosh and Jennifer Zumann for supporting the 45 new families this year, as well as helping the Enrollment office with Tours & Orientations and other outreach events. You guys are awesome!
If you are interested in welcoming new families into the CWS community by supporting them while they develop their social community and/or by helping out with Tours & Orientations and outreach events, please contact Jennifer Zielinski at jzielinski@chicagowaldorf.org or 773-828-8468. We are always looking for Parent Ambassadors.
Thank you for your generosity and commitment to the Chicago Waldorf School!
The Admissions Committee: Susan Bruck, Barbara Huckabay, Lisa Payton, Lauri Sullivan, and Jennifer Zielinski
Tuesday, June 2013
Our seniors have graduated and are now planning their next steps―considering majors at their colleges, exploring international travel, professional development and employment opportunities, weighing their options and generally looking forward to their next stage of life. They also deserve a special note of congratulations for this particular distinction: As a class they have been awarded over $2 million in merit-based scholarships to continue their educational journeys in college. Those scholarship awards are based on academic merit (not needs-based financial aid), which demonstrates how much schools are seeking out these Waldorf graduates and valuing the life skills, learning capacities and academic and social competencies they developed at CWS. Here are brief profiles of their future plans:
Gabrielle Anspach will attend Vassar College in New York. She chose Vassar because of the strong academic reputation, and the very interesting, friendly and welcoming student body. Gabi anticipates exploring a variety of academic fields, including English, anthropology, education and art.
Eden Finer is looking forward to attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and has been admitted to the School of Human Ecology, a socially-conscious department which focuses on quality-of-life issues through research, creative innovation and outreach.
Natalie Good will begin post-high school life at Stetson University in Florida. She was drawn to the Discovery Program at Stetson which offers special customized opportunities for individual mentoring, workshops and job shadowing, that allows students to explore several different careers each semester.
Maddie Lawson has chosen Kalamazoo College for her undergraduate experience. She is unsure of her major but feels comfortable with Kalamazoo because it has strong, rigorous programs across many disciplines, and is a very friendly and open community.
Nora Lubin will attend Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She is enthusiastic about this school because of its shared core values and many similarities of approach to learning with Waldorf education. Nora is interested in psychology, criminology and film studies.
Claire Matthews chose Kalamazoo College for many different reasons, including its trimester schedule, friendly students, the lack of Greek life, and the K-Plan, which ensures a strong focus on experiential education, including strong programs for internships and study abroad. Claire hopes to pursue one of the sciences, perhaps via a pre-med track or alternatively via a teaching/education track.
Our 11 Seniors have collectively amassed over
$2 million dollars in merit-based scholarships!
Joanna Northage-Orr will attend Indiana University–Bloomington with her sights set on studying linguistics, a program for which IU is well-known. Joanna is considering studying several languages, double-majoring in linguistics and international studies, or studying business economics and languages.
Rochelle Peterson will pursue writing at Macalester College which values a socially-conscious student body and has a great awareness regarding environmental issues and social justice issues. She is inspired by their highly regarded writing program, and also considering a double major (or at least a minor) in art.
Clay Shane will be heading to the east coast this fall to study at Hampshire College. Clay has many academic interests, including political science, literature, philosophy, and music. Hampshire is part of the Five-College Consortium which allows students to cross-register at any of the colleges. Clay is already looking into the classes in Arabic language at Smith College.
Yarden Solomon is planning a gap year prior to enrolling in college. Through Workaway International, Yarden has made contact with several organizations in Thailand and plans to volunteer for six months at a yoga retreat center and also on a farm in Thailand. After her time abroad she plans to select a college to pursue her interest in environmental studies.
Casey Stewart will attend Knox College in the fall to study Creative Writing. Their Creative Writing Department is one of the leading programs in the country according to the prestigious Poets and Writers Magazine. She was drawn in by the exceptionally nice professors and student body, and impressed that the students in the class that she visited were so interesting and engaged.
These Senior plans were collected and detailed by Academic Advisor, Diane Meinke as of 5/10/2013
Tuesday, June 2013
Click Here for the video of his presentation talk.
Jack delves into the question: "How can we prepare our children for a world we can't envision?" He believes the best way to do that is to educate our children to develop three essential capacities: a capacity for vibrant and vigorous activity, a capacity for a sensitive and yet resilient emotional life, and a capacity for clear, focused, original, thinking.
These are core values held by Waldorf teachers that reflect the learning goals and developmental capacities of Waldorf education.
Jack Petrash, is an educator with over thirty years of classroom experience (currently he is leading his fourth class at the Washington Waldorf School in Bethesda, Maryland) and a teacher of teachers. He is the founder and director of the Nova Institute, which seeks to bring fresh insights into parent and teacher education through a deeper understanding of children. He has written extensively on education and parenting, and has served on the editorial board of the journal Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice. He is the author of multiple books including; Covering Home: Lessons on the Art of Fathering from the Game of Baseball, which received the National Parenting Publication's gold award. He has worked with parents and teachers all over the country, and his parenting pieces have appeared in the Washington Post and on National Public Radio.
Monday, May 2013
Please invite your family and friends to join in this weekend's
2013 CWS May Fair
Saturday, May 11th, 10am-4pm
A street fair on Loyola Ave. (between Glenwood & Lakewood)
The May Fair is an annual festival of Spring, featuring the historic tradition of handmade arts and crafts that is celebrated by Waldorf schools throughout the Americas and Europe. This event connects the larger community to the creative spirit by which Waldorf schools nourish and support the whole child in attunement with the natural seasons’ cycles.
May Fair takes on its own aura for each individual school with activities ranging from barbecues to child-made crafts, handwork, fabric dyeing and more. The most iconic element of May Fair is the maypole dance that evokes the same community pride and spirit as it did in festivals centuries ago.
The Chicago Waldorf School 2013 May Fair has evolved from a celebration for children into a community-wide affair in Rogers Park that seeks to celebrate the spirit and values of Waldorf education with students, families, and the neighborhood. The festival features Maypole dancing, live entertainment and music, games, food, kid-focused activities, craft-making, and unique vendors and exhibitors of handmade artisanal goods.
Entertainment & Performances at the May Fair:
In addition to the many games, crafts and activities that will be available at May Fair, the event will feature a lively roster of entertainment including:
10:30am The Kelson Twins (location: Street Stage)
CWS student, Juliet Kelson and her twin sister will perform a medley of music. Enjoy these High Schooler's musical artistry.
11:30am Circus Aerialists Perform (location: Gymnasium)
Students from the school’s Circus Club Aerial Group will perform a variety of acrobatic skills and feats on the silks, spanish web and trapeeze.
12:00noon Maypole Dance (location: Street Stage)
The maypole bears garlands and is a symbol for the growth of new vegetation and spring life. Dancers gather around the pole that is sprawling with greenery and colored ribbons attached to the top. To the accompaniment of traditional music they walk and skip in opposite directions allowing the strings to intertwine to create a braided weave around the pole. This colorful dance is a special part of the tradition celebrating the coming of Spring.
1:00pm Circus Club Performance (location: Street Stage)
Students from the Chicago Waldorf School’s Circus Club will perform a variety of skills and physical feats from acrobatics to tumbling, floor exercises, clowning, hip-hop dance performance, juggling, and more. See teams execute advanced jump skills and competitive jump-rope routines. Coached by professional circus artists, athletes and acrobatic performers, this is our circus club students’ chance to show off their excellent new skills.
2:00pm Scenes From Shakespeare (location: Auditorium)
Students from the 8th grade will share a selection of scenes from their upcoming class play, Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Nights Dream."
2:30pm Brazilian Music with Brasil Nativo (Street Stage)
Hear the energetic sounds of Samba music from Lourdes, Heitor and Paulinho Garcia Family Brazilian Music Trio.
3:00pm CWS Student Talent (location: Street Stage)
Students from the Chicago Waldorf School’s High School and Middle School will perform special selections for the community. See and hear the African Drumming Class perform, watch talent performances and skits from High Schoolers. Comedy, tragedy, or inspiration may ensue with performances that run the gamut from serious to irreverent in nature.
The May Fair will have a variety of booths, food vendors, and activities including the traditional Cake Walk, Jump Rope Braiding Machines, Tie-Dye Station, Flower Crowns, Arts & Crafts projects for kids, a Treasure Hunt and more!
Make sure you invite your friends to come join us!
Monday, May 2013
Tina Howe’s Museum is performed Thursday – Saturday, May 16 – 18 at 7:30pm
(Recommended for grades 5+) - CWS Auditorium
Parents, faculty, alumni and ALL members of the CWS community are invited to see the senior class in their final dramatic production. Yes, that’s right; it’s time for the annual 12th grade play! This year the seniors are tackling the contemporary comedy, Museum.
Written in 1976, Tina Howe’s Museum takes place on the final day of a group show of three fictional contemporary American artists. They are exhibited in a major museum of modern art and, in the course of the day, the usual suspects walk through the show: art lovers, skeptics, foreigners, students, lost souls, fellow artists, and museum guards.
The 12th grade's production of Museum explores the effect of art on the viewer, showing how reactions to a work of art say as much about the viewer and human nature, as they do about the work on display.
Directed by Colleen Everhart and produced by the senior class, all the 12th graders perform and many have more than one speaking part. They are receiving assistance from Nancy Melvin (costumes), Rick Paul and Frances Vig (set), Michele Preysler (hair and make-up) and Mike Smith (lights and AV) for their production.
Admission is free with donations gratefully accepted at the door. All donations will help fund the 12th grade’s Service Learning trip to the Yucatan in Mexico where they will work with the Mayan community on various service projects.
Monday, May 2013
A foundation for learning―and the spark that fuels the creative, inquisitive mind―starts with the question: "Why?"
CWS Annual Fund 2013 Goal: $150,000 Current mark: $110,000
40 In 40 challenges the Chicago Waldorf School community to raise $40,000 in 40 days in order to meet our 2012-2013 Annual Fund goal of $150,000. Click here to donate to the 2013 CWS Annual Fund!
Ask: Why Give to Annual Fund? This is Why...
Your Annual Fund gifts support the costs of important school operations, ensuring that Chicago Waldorf School can keep tuition competitive and offer access to Waldorf education for many families. Other expenses covered by the Annual Fund include everything from classroom enhancements to refueling the bus gas tank. Here are examples of what the CWS Annual Fund donations support:
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• Piano tuning $ 80 per piano
• Full tank of gas for bus $ 100
• Gym mats $ 9,600
• Use of canteen for HS lunch $ 35 per day
• Traffic cones $ 150
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• Wood chips for play yard $ 400
• Morning Lesson guest teacher $1,500
• Rental of EC5 space for 1 month $1,875
• Soil for community garden $ 300
• Accompanist for concert $ 60
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Your Participation Counts!
We need your help to raise 40 In 40. We are asking for 100% participation from parents, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees of the school to reach our goal. Your donation is vital to sustaining the Chicago Waldorf experience, and the benefits are exponential—every dollar donated makes a difference in the life of CWS, which is a benefit to everyone. And all donations are tax-deductible—a great benefit for you!
